During the middle of last week my mother contacted me to let me know that my 94 year old grandmother had died, and that the funeral would be on Friday. After hearing the news I quickly booked a flight at the last minute to travel back to my childhood home for the weekend. The unexpected travel took some effort to coordinate, but it was very important for me to be with my family during that time.

During the many hours that I spent traveling, I was compelled and had the time to meditate on the brevity of life, the swiftness of time, and the vain pursuits of mankind (compare Ecclesiastes 1:14). I was reminded of the statement made in James 4:14,  “… For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Certainly, the time that we have to live a life in the flesh is very short, and therefore the time that we have should be spent on things that are very important.

What is important then? This is a question that I thought a lot about. Do I spend my time on activities that are really important? After experiencing mortality closely, the typical answers naturally become re-evaluated. During the memorial service for my grandmother, I had the opportunity to look at photographs of snapshots taken throughout her life. I listened to stories from people who had spent time with her. The kinds of things that captivated me were the relationships that she had with people, how she influenced the lives of others, and the character of her way of life. Reflecting on her life caused me to realize that character and the ability to influence others in a positive way are very important for our relationship with other humans.

It is the development of our character that is important to God as well. We all have the opportunity to live our lives in a way that is obedient to God, showing our willingness to do what is good and right in His sight. Whether we are able to accumulate wealth or accomplish great worldly feats is inconsequential. Our ability to develop positive relationships with others so that we might influence people is also important to God. Christians are called to be lights in this world, as a living example of good works. As Jesus Christ instructed in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The ability to live a life that develops good, righteous character, that may cause God to be glorified is what’s important for us to focus on.

The corollary of knowing what is important is knowing what is not important in life. It is all too easy to become distracted and focus a disproportionate amount of time and energy on things that really don’t matter that much. When our lives are evaluated at the end, whether by our friends and family, or by Jesus Christ, many of the things that are seemingly important at the moment will be of little consequence. What will be important is the manner in which we have lived our short lives. Did we show the love for God and people in our lives, or not? Solomon sums it up well in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 where he writes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all [or, “the whole duty of man”]. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”

Over the decades I have had close contact with literally thousands of members in the Church of God. The beginning for me was hearing The World Tomorrow broadcast at age fifteen. A couple of years later, I met someone who was part of what was then called the Radio Church of God. That was followed by my attending Church services in Springfield, Missouri, and then being accepted to Ambassador College in the fall of 1964.

In those years of 1960’s and 1970’s, there was tremendous growth. Every aspect of the work of the Church flourished. There was inspiring unity, a kind of singleness of heart among the majority of people. Occasionally, however, some left the Church even when it was at its strongest. The reasons were varied, but those who remained carried on. The prevailing attitude was that this would only happen to the few, but just the opposite has proven to be the case!

Now, in May of 2015, tens of thousands of members who were once in the Worldwide Church of God have faded into a dizzying array of groups. While some struggle to remain faithful to God, most have allowed themselves to be reabsorbed into the society they once rejected!

My reflection on what has transpired is something we should know all too well. But this isn’t just history—it is our struggle of this time, and it will be true in the days ahead. It is because Satan seeks to stamp out anyone and everyone who is a member in the Church of God.

Looking back, it seems that we were easy prey for Satan. Our mistake in times past was that we didn’t really take precautions—we didn’t heed the warnings we all heard! But know this, while we can learn from what has happened in recent years, the real test remains—to finish!

Jesus outlined the challenge set before us:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT” (Matthew 7:13-14)

We all love rewards, and God loves to reward us. God has a very great reward in store for us, but have we ever wondered how our personal reward will be determined?

Jesus said:  “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). He said also: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Both statements can be connected with the Holy Spirit as the source of light. “Light” is a manifestation of the Spirit.

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, recorded by John, we read about “seven lampstands which… are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20).  Revelation, chapters two and three, identify the seven churches and their eras. Importantly, the seven lampstands, of and by themselves, are not the source of light. The source of light is the oil, representing God’s Spirit.

On the Day of Pentecost in 31 AD., light appeared “as of fire” (Acts 2:3), which was in fact a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. That was the power source, by which the lampstand of the early Church burst into illumination! That light, down through the ages, has never been extinguished. However, some individual lights, which should be shining, have gone out.

The light of Pentecost is in fact key to a great reward. We read in Revelation 22:12: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give everyone according to his work.” This connects with the parable of the pounds or the minas in Luke 19:11-27. The one who gained ten pounds was rewarded with authority over ten cities. The one who gained five pounds was rewarded with authority over five cities. The one who did nothing and who gained nothing, whose light went out, lost his reward.

Authority, rulership and power will be handed to us by Jesus, the King of kings. Christ’s original apostles have already been promised twelve thrones – judging the twelve tribes of Israel. That is their reward. Our reward will be the thrilling opportunity to serve, with great honours, as kings and priests – bringing salvation to our loved ones and to this dying world. We, of and by ourselves, cannot do anything. We are not the source of light – it is the light of God’s Spirit that empowers us!

Christ tells us: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The Spirit that ignited the lampstand of the early Church now works in us, helping us to produce good works, which will determine our great reward!

May the original light of Pentecost come upon us and shine brightly within and through us!

It was probably 1997, and Holy Day services were being held in Derbyshire in the UK. Our guests that day were Colin and Margaret Adair. It would have been a time shortly after I had been appointed as office manager for the Global Church of God in the UK. In the announcements, the late and much missed Mr Adair, then the International Director for Global, said four words that I have thought about many times since. He said “The indefatigable Mr Gale” and then went on to make some further comments. Indefatigable is defined as “persisting tirelessly, tireless, untiring, never-tiring, unwearied, unwearying, unflagging.”

It was a time of quite intense activity. The office was still taking up lots of space in our home until we acquired premises the following year. Much catching up had to be done administratively. Receipts for tithes and offerings for the past year had to be issued and a template for doing so had to be devised. An office structure was planned and implemented and administration for the various video groups and churches had to be put in place. Budgets had to be set, advertising through an agency had to be negotiated and a Feast site found, approved and organised with an expected 300 to be in attendance. Booklet requests were frequent and many questions had to be answered. It was, in short, perhaps a bit more than a full time job for just one person, but I coped with all the energy that I had to make it a thoroughly efficient office. Perhaps that is why Mr Adair called me indefatigable.

Why do I mention this? I was 57 at the time and the figures are now reversed. At 75, some 18 years later, in no way could I be called “indefatigable”! In fact, were Mr Adair to make comments today, he would be well within his rights to say that I was “fatigable” – yes, there is such a word and it means subject to fatigue. I no longer have the energy of even just 18 years ago, and this is a prime example of how we change over the course of a lifetime.

Many, who were extremely fit and mobile not that long ago, may now have mobility problems that they would never have expected at a younger age. We do have to accept our limitations, whatever they may be, but with the wisdom that God can give us as we get older, this is necessary in order to adjust to, what seems to be ever changing physical parts of our life.

What lessons can we draw from what I have written above? There will be a time when all of God’s faithful people will actually become indefatigable. At the resurrection, we will be given spirit bodies and life that will never wear out  – and for eternity. No more getting older with reduced capabilities and functionality. No more tiredness and fatigue; no more illness or disease and no more physical limitations of any sort whatsoever.  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

It will, in short, be a time when we will all be able to say about each other in that wonderful spiritual realm that we are indefatigable in the service of God, and each other, and that it will be for all eternity!

It comes as no surprise that the time we are living in is becoming increasingly difficult, especially when simple things that we need are beginning to take effect in our lives, like rising gasoline prices, water shortages and power outages. These necessities could affect the cost on other items such as groceries.  With a struggling economy, are we becoming more cautious and aware when it comes to either saving or spending our money?  Have these customary every-day items been taken for granted?  Do we realize that food and gas are depleting and that one day we could very well run out of supplies?

God knows what we need. He blesses us with physical necessities, and He has also granted us gifts that are not offered to the world, while some who could be reached have chosen not to accept His gifts.  Have we taken God’s gifts for granted, including the Sabbath day, His annual Holy Days and His commandments for us to keep?  Do we take His blessings for granted? Are we thankful for them?  Do we have faith that God will provide in our times of need, or do we become too discouraged to rely on God?  Remember, He puts us through trials to test our faith (James 1:2-6), and we must also be smart in our decisions that we make, because we don’t want to test God either, by questioning His ability or willingness to help us or by trying to force Him to do something for us, while we do nothing.  To think that we can just sit back and stay passive, thinking that God will have to take care of us, is not going to get us far, as we have a role to play as well.  That is all part of our learning process –  having a closer relationship with God.

When we do receive blessings from God, we have to remember to be thankful.  Sometimes we tend to dwell on the things that are troublesome to us, the things that we would most likely try to put into our own hands to figure out, forgetting to go to God and ask for help.  We may not do that intentionally but we give in to human nature.  When we are sick, do we ask God for healing, or do we rely on doctors and medicine instead, ignoring God in the process? And when we ask for God’s healing, and He does heal us, do we forget to thank Him?  Luke 17:11-19 proves that our faith will make us well and that God expects of us to thank Him when we are healed.

Ephesians 5:20 tells us that we are to give thanks “ALWAYS for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This also means during difficult times.  We should not take what has been given to us for granted.

God has also given us the gift of knowledge and love and the understanding of His Way of Life, including the meaning of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, and by living this way, we are to be great examples to the rest of the world, as it says in Matthew 5:16.  We are to be shining lights to this world even though the world will hate us for it, and yes, they will hate us for it!

But we are not here to please the world, but God, and we will be blessed for that.  Luke 8:4-15 talks about the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. Some seed fell by the wayside, on rock, among thorns, and good ground. Which seed are we?  If we consider ourselves to be part of the seed that fell on good ground, notice how we must have patience just as God has patience with us.  We must endure hardship and suffering if we want to live God’s Way of Life, to ultimately be like God. Isn’t that our ultimate goal?  Do we sometimes take what we know for granted?  Or do we remain faithful in Christ? Are we strong enough to keep going, and do we possess that patience until the end?  For this is God’s promise to us, if we do not give up: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

All of us may be far too quick, at times, of making wrong assumptions, based on “facts” which seem to be rather compelling, only to find out later that our information and conclusions were not altogether correct… and many times, they were totally wrong.

In Jesus’ days, the Jews were not guiltless in this regard. Based on their preconceived notions, they were unwilling and unable to believe that Christ could have been the Messiah or even a godly prophet, and following their own ideas and human traditions as to how a righteous person had to behave, they accused Him of terrible things, since Christ did not live in the way that they thought He should. Especially the way Christ kept the Sabbath was a bone of contention for many. It is not that different today. Some, based on faulty understanding of Scripture, insist that we must not use public transportation or go to a restaurant on the Sabbath, proudly and self-righteously negating and rejecting the teachings of the Bible.

Christ challenged His audience when He said to them, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). When His rule is established on earth, He will “not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge…” (Isaiah 11:3-4). Hearsay and observation by eyesight might be very “convincing,” but they may be deceiving and may lead to wrong assumptions and conclusions.

The prophet Jeremiah was wrongly accused of defecting to the Chaldeans, after he had prophesied about the fall of Jerusalem and was then observed going into the land of Benjamin to claim his property among the people. As the “facts” seemed to speak against him, he was arrested and imprisoned in a dungeon for many days  (Jeremiah 37:11-16).

King Saul was guilty of making wrong assumptions, which had terrible results. First he assumed that all his men had conspired against him, because he thought that they knew about David’s whereabouts, without telling him (1. Samuel 22:8). When it came to his attention that the innocent priest Abimelech gave David some of the holy bread, handed him the sword of Goliath, and inquired of God for him, Saul assumed and concluded that the priest was part of a conspiracy with David against him (1 Samuel 22:13); and as a consequence, he had the priest and almost his entire house murdered through Doeg, an Edomite.

Later, the priest Amaziah wrongly accused the prophet Amos of conspiring against King Jeroboam, as he did not like the message which Amos proclaimed under godly inspiration (Amos 7:10-17).

The Bible commands us to be very careful before we believe in the concept of a conspiracy. Hundreds, if not thousands of “conspiracy theories” are being circulated, especially on the Internet. Many are totally convinced that the moon landing never took place and that the American government was behind the 9-11 attack, and that just about everybody was involved in conspiracies to present false facts. Others believe in a conspiracy cover-up regarding UFOs, claiming that governments know of their existence, but deny them for whatever reason. Others see conspiracies pertaining to certain groups secretly “running” this world, including the Free Masons, the Illuminati, the Bilderbergers, and whatever other of the many groups they may list.

First of all, none of this is material and relevant for true Christians, as it is Satan who, as the god and prince of this world, is ruling this earth, and whatever “group” he may use for this purpose is really of no consequence for us. In addition, no one knows for sure whether these things are so, and therefore, to state them with “conviction” and the self-righteous attitude of “I know it, and you don’t” is dangerous, since one might be guilty of lying, if these ideas turn out to be false. Isaiah 8:12 warns us: “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:12-13).

If we would only do this, we would not get involved in conspiracy theories, politics, governmental elections, jury duty, military service and war, and many other man-made institutions and concepts which are against the Will of God. As ambassadors of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, we are to announce and represent God’s coming rule on earth, when there will be no more false judgments and wrong assumptions, based on “convincing facts” which had been acquired through eyesight or hearsay. Let us work towards the goal of rendering righteous judgment, and let’s leave the world’s politics with its faulty ideas, traditions and concepts behind.

The U.S. is currently trying to negotiate a massive Trans Pacific trade deal.  Congress, as written in the Constitution, is charged with giving advice and consent on trade agreements.  Over the past few decades though, Congress has given up that right to the president by granting him authority to “fast track” trade negotiations.  The intent is that the president can speed up the process and avoid partisan politicking.  And still, the lobbying and scheming between opposing parties is as vigorous as ever.

Detractors, among other things, point to previous trade agreements (NAFTA) as failures.  Proponents promise success through economic growth and more jobs.  And between all of the rhetoric one important fact is lost—God’s role!

God alone controls the events of the world as Daniel states, “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21).

The great fault of mankind is their utter refusal to acknowledge and submit to God. Instead, our nation pins its hopes on men. Nothing done by man’s own hands is going to change the Will of God. It can be easy to root for one man’s opinion over another, especially when those opinions appear to point in godly directions.  But knowledge of God’s Will in this world’s affairs is beyond comprehension for those in spiritual darkness.

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

This world continually postulates why God can’t exist.  Nations make plans to better themselves and the world through their own ingenuity, and ultimately through their own greed for power. And with all of the greatness that humanity aspires to, it is pointless when God is forgotten and ignored.

It’s in this climate that we are called upon to shine as lights to the world. “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me” (Ezekiel 33:7). The world will hate us for the way we live and for the God we profess, and yet we are to shine ever more brightly as this world grows darker.  Let’s always rejoice that we have been given this opportunity—to know God and to be living examples of His Will on earth.

We have just concluded the Days of Unleavened Bread, which is a time of self-examination and re-evaluation of our relationship with God and Christ. The purpose has been to compare ourselves with ourselves in order to determine what kind of person we were a year ago and today; and to make any necessary corrections.

Keeping sin out of our lives is not just a weekly occasion, which can be neglected during the rest of the year. No person would vacuum a room every day for a week and then let it sit for a year, expecting it to remain clean. It is the same with our lives. We have to look at ourselves and make an effort on a continual basis to remove sin and to keep it out. A slight physical course deviation can cause us to miss the mark completely; similarly, a small spiritual deviation can cause us to end in a devastating disaster.

It is easy to get distracted so that we may miss a physical goal or mark. In the same manner, a little sin, which is compared with leaven, can cause us to totally miss the spiritual mark, if not dealt with. That is why we must continually evaluate the course of our lives, looking to God for direction and correction when required.

Christ makes the statement that we are not to look back and yearn for our old ways once we put our hand to the plow. Luke 9:62 tells us:  “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

Once we make the commitment to follow and obey God, He takes it seriously, and it is not a light thing to turn back from that commitment since it could lead to the loss of our eternal salvation. That is why it is important to stay focused and on course and to use daily the tool of self-examination which enables us to see the need to remove sin, so that we can attain the promise of eternal life in God’s Kingdom. When we fall short by sinning, we must quickly repent and move forward towards the Kingdom of God, knowing that it is God’s good pleasure to give us His Kingdom.

When God calls someone, tremendous change must take place, and that becomes quickly obvious as a Christian confronts this world and its present social order.

You see, living as a Christian requires that we can no longer just go along with what everyone else is doing. We are forced to make choices—to reject one course of action and to choose another. While some of the steps we have taken, such as repentance and baptism, help lay a foundation for living in a godly manner, we are still constantly challenged to apply God’s laws in making decisions.

Hard choices require that we seek God’s Will in a matter. The Bible, through specific instructions and abundant examples, can help us understand the best course of action to take (Psalm 119:97-104). Seeking God’s guidance by prayer is available to us, but we must ask (James 1:5). The Church of God, through the ministry, may also assist us in difficult situations, if we are willing (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

Furthermore, when the answer is given from God, will we have the faith to go forward (Hebrews 11:6)? Our Christian growth is reflected by how successful we are in transcending this present evil age, but never forget that God’s Way is narrow and difficult when compared to the world in which we now live!

As each new issue arises, what will our choice be—obey God or compromise with Satan?

In my daily work I have the privilege of talking directly with my customers, for whom my team builds software. Occasionally, conversations I have will involve complaints about bugs or other problems that might be outside of my span of control. Those conversations typically include a disclaimer to “not take it personally,” meaning that they are frustrated about the problem, but not with me. In those kinds of situations it is acceptable to remove myself from the situation, and work on the problem exclusively. However, when we have sole responsibility and control over a situation, it is critical to take the opposite approach and take things personally.

With the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread upon us, we are instructed to actively judge ourselves. Anyone who has ever had to perform a self-evaluation for a job knows that it can be very challenging to be objective and in an unbiased way judge how well we are doing. Yet, the task is clear for a Christian, “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31). This can only be accomplished by taking it personally.

What is most striking about this process is that it is definitively individual. Other people’s hasty and uninformed judgments about how well we are doing in our Christian life have no bearing on our individual examination of ourselves. Self-examination offers us an opportunity to remove all distraction from our thoughts, and honestly evaluate our personal relationship with God. This evaluation is between us and God. It is true that in certain situations it might be very advisable and sometimes even mandatory to seek counsel and guidance from a true minister of God to help us with our proper self-examination, as we sometimes might blind ourselves to the true facts and to our own heart, desires and motives. The inherent accountability involved in this process adds pressure to be correct and complete, but we may also be surprised to find that it can offer us a great deal of relief.

We can be relieved that we have an opportunity to be starkly honest with ourselves and with God about the behavior that we want to fix. We will only do ourselves a disservice if we choose to continue hiding our sin from exposure. Rather, by laying all our sin bare to ourselves and to God, we acknowledge our need for forgiveness. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by confessing as many of our sins to God as we can find. Only then can we truly repent.

Of course, we know that we can hide nothing from God, so it is in our best interest to see ourselves as God sees us. This will help to expose the areas where we need to improve. As David reflects in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” It can certainly be challenging to see our sins, but God is there to help guide us into understanding.

The relationship that we have with God is personal. We must not allow anyone else to get in between our personal relationship with God. Now is the time when we have the opportunity to really make a change in our lives. As written in Lamentations 3:40-41, “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.”